What is Mediation?
Mediation is a voluntary process in which a neutral third party, known as a mediator, helps individuals in conflict reach a mutually acceptable agreement. It is a collaborative approach that encourages open communication and problem-solving, allowing parties to explore solutions tailored to their unique needs.
In the context of divorce, mediation provides a safe and supportive environment for couples to discuss and resolve issues such as child arrangements, financial plans, and property division. Unlike court proceedings, mediation is confidential and gives parties control over their outcome, often resulting in more sustainable agreements and better relationships post-divorce.
For More Information About Family Mediation and Divorce Coaching:
At EB & Co. Mediation, we offer comprehensive family mediation services and divorce coaching to guide you through the challenges of separation. Our experienced mediators help you identify goals, communicate effectively, and find practical solutions tailored to your situation.
Mediation Services:
- Child Arrangements: Create a parenting plan that prioritises the well-being of your children.
- Financial Arrangements: Discuss financial settlements and asset sharing with clarity and fairness.
- Property Division: Navigate the complexities of dividing marital assets.
Divorce Coaching:
- Emotional Support: Receive guidance on managing the emotional aspects of divorce.
- Goal Setting: Develop clear, achievable goals for your life post-divorce.
- Communication Skills: Learn effective communication techniques to help negotiate and resolve conflicts.
For more information or to schedule a consultation, please contact us at EB & Co. Mediation. Our team is dedicated to helping you achieve a positive outcome during this challenging time.
EB & Co. Mediation Case Studies
Mr & Mrs W.
Mr & Mrs W have been married for 21 years and have two older children, one child is away at University and the other in her last year at school. Mr & Mrs W know that they have been growing apart and that their marriages has come to an end. Now that their children are older and more independent they felt it was the right time to move to a different, separate future. Mr & Mrs W agreed that their priority in mediation was to sort out their finances. They did not want or need to make child arrangements.
EB&Co carefully and clearly explained the steps that Mr and Mrs W would have to take in their financial disclosure process. We explained what financial information would need to be provided and when. Then using this information as a framework and in the managed environment of a mediation session encouraged Mr and Mrs W to plan what they would need as they move towards their new futures. We tested their agreements by asking them to consider alternative options and by raising possible alternative scenarios.
By guiding our clients through their financial plans we actively encourage them to consider their children’s needs as well as their own individual needs but what is fair and affordable to all those involved.
Mr & Mrs B.
Mr and Mrs B have been married for 15 years and have two children (aged 12yrs and 14yrs). They are committed to keeping their relationship as amicable as possible for the sake of their children. They came to mediation having agreed equal shared care of the children and with a verbal agreement to keep the family home so there was as little disruption to the children as possible.
With guidance from EB&Co Mr and Mrs B provided all their financial information prior to their first session and came hoping to reach an agreement. During the session, as EB&Co questioned Mr and Mrs B more closely on their plans, it became clear that in fact Mrs B wanted to sell the family home despite the disruption to the children. Mr B was adamant that he did not want to sell the house.
EB & Co. suggested that it might be helpful for Mr and Mrs B to have an understanding of what their children thought about the changes in their family life. A child inclusive mediation session was arranged. A carefully managed conversation between the children and the specialist mediator, who then reported back what the children had to say, allowed Mr and Mrs B to have a better appreciation of what was actually important to the children. Having heard what the children said Mr and Mrs B were able to move towards an agreement about the family home.
The ‘voice of the child’ is heard in mediation using Child Inclusive Mediation. EB&Co offer the opportunity for children (over the age of 10yrs) to talk to a specially trained mediator about what is really important to them.
Mr & Mrs C.
Mr and Mrs C have been married for 9 years, they have three young children (8yrs, 6yrs and 3yrs). Mrs C has given up work to look after the children full-time and feels that Mr C does not give enough time to the children. Mr C works long hours. Communication between them is not easy and Mr C recently moved out of the family home into a rented property. They have a verbal agreement about the children but are finding it hard to make this work. They have not discussed their finances at all.
EB&Co explained to Mr and Mrs C that they can choose to discuss any of the issues raised by the end of their relationship in whatever order is most important to them. Mr and Mrs C agreed that the children were their priority and wanted to work towards an arrangement for them before discussing their finances.
EB&Co started the discussion by asking Mr C about his recent move out of the family home. In the safe, neutral environment of mediation Mr C felt able to express how much he missed the children, equally Mrs C then explained how unsupported she felt coping with the demands of three young children.
EB&Co enabled Mr and Mrs C to listen to each other and in doing so acknowledge the common ground between them as loving parents. The understanding that EB&Co were able to create allowed Mr & Mrs C conversation to move forwards towards a workable solution.
This type of conversation is far from easy for clients and must be managed with both empathy and an eye to the future. EB&Co understands the cycle of hurt feelings and angry thoughts that can lead to poor decisions or choices. By understanding this cycle we allow clients to find their common ground and work towards their own solutions.
Non-married couple
Bob and Ann had been in a relationship for 14 years, and had 4 children, ages 11, 9, 7 and 3yrs old, though they never married. They had shared a family home for 10 years, however Bob moved out 3 years ago to move in with his new partner.
Ann has a debilitating illness that impacts her ability to work, and as she has been predominantly the primary carer in the home to look after the children, she has very little borrowing potential. Bob is paying child maintenance to Ann, and they both contribute 50/50 for the monthly mortgage repayments.
Bob is struggling to maintain the child maintenance amount as well as 50% of the mortgage, and is sinking further and further into debt. Ann’s illness is making looking after the children much more difficult, and Bob does have them as much as possible, however he lives in a 2-bed cottage, with his partner and her son, therefore the space is very limited. Adding 4 more bodies makes things very cosy, but obviously not suitable long term.
Bob would like to sell the house to release the equity so that he can buy a bigger house. If they sold the house however, Ann would not be able to purchase a replacement and would be forced to rent. With some cash in her bank, her benefits would cease, and her equity would be swallowed by paying rent.
EB & Co. Mediation
Client Testimonials
Our Process
How we work
Step 1
MIAM – Mediation Information Assessment Meeting
Your individual chance to meet the mediator, learn about the process, and understand your next steps.
Step 2
Preparing for Mediation
Thinking about what you want to achieve from the session(s): perhaps developing a parenting plan together or beginning to sort out your finances
Step 3
Getting extra support
Do you need more information or may be legal advice? We will clearly explain the different choices and options every step of the way.
Step 4
Developing plans for the future
With the support and help of your mediator you will begin to understand and develop, practical, real-life plans as you move towards your new seprate lives.
Step 5
Agreement
You understand why you have made the decisions you have, you know that these are the right choices for you and your family. You feel ready to move forward.
Our News
EB & Co. Mediation
AI Divorce Advice: What a Chatbot Cannot See
More separating couples are arriving at their first meeting with a settlement already worked out by a chatbot. If that sounds like you, you are in very good company. Over the past year, UK searches for "best AI relationship advice" have risen by more than 550 per...
Smaller Families, Later in Life: What the New Birth Figures Mean When Couples Separate
Families in England and Wales are being started later and kept smaller, and that quietly changes what separation looks like when it comes. On 21 September the Office for National Statistics published its birth figures for 2025. There were 585,396 live births in...
Legal Aid for Mediation: What Separating Couples Can Do Now
The help that used to be there has quietly moved out of reach for most separating families. On 8 October the Law Society asked the government to finally deliver a reform that has been promised, consulted on and then postponed for years: an overhaul of the legal aid...
Hearing the Child’s Voice: What the Supreme Court Ruling Means for Separating Parents
When the country’s highest court stopped to listen to a fourteen year old, it reminded the rest of us of something that is easy to forget in the middle of a separation. On 17 September the Supreme Court handed down its judgment in the Petition of DM, a case about two...
One Rule, Two Homes: Co-Parenting Social Media Rules Before the Under-16 Ban
If one home allows TikTok and the other does not, March 2027 is about to settle that argument for you. Last week the Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, confirmed that the ban on social media accounts for under-16s will come into force in March 2027. Platforms including...
Family Court Delays: A Calmer Path Through Mediation
The Changing Landscape of Separation If you have been following family law news recently, you may have seen the headlines surrounding the latest updates to the Family Procedure Rules. In a significant shift aimed at addressing record-breaking UK family court delays,...
How to Avoid the Spiralling Cost of Divorce in the UK
The Headline That Struck a Chord Recent BBC news highlighting a woman facing a staggering £105,000 legal bill to divorce her abusive husband has sent ripples of anxiety through many couples considering separation. It is a terrifying figure that brings the extreme...
VAT on School Fees: What Separated Parents Can Do About Older Orders
If your financial order mentions school fees but was written before January 2025, it almost certainly says nothing about VAT, and that gap is now landing on someone's bank statement. Last week a barrister who acted in the Court of Appeal case on school fees orders...
Paying for Speed: Why Four in Ten Would Pay More to Settle Sooner
If you have ever wondered whether it would be worth paying a little extra simply to get an answer sooner, new research suggests a great many people feel exactly the same. Research published on 18 September by the law firm Mills & Reeve found that 38.9 per cent of...
Asking AI About Your Divorce: What Chatbots Can Help With, and What They Cannot
If you have quietly typed your situation into a chatbot at eleven o'clock at night, you are in far more company than you might think. New research published on 17 September by the legal reform charity Justice found that one in six people involved in a legal dispute...
Pensions & Divorce: Looking Beyond the Family Home
The immediate focus versus long-term security When couples separate, it is entirely natural for conversations to centre around the immediate, tangible aspects of daily life. Where will we live? Who will stay in the house? How will we manage the mortgage? However, a...
The Autumn Cost-of-Living Squeeze: How to Rebalance Shared Child Costs Without Conflict
As the days draw in and the autumn chill sets in across Essex and Cambridgeshire, many households are feeling an all-too-familiar pressure on their finances. Between rising domestic energy bills, the sharp expense of new school uniforms, and the recurring costs of...
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